


Rosegold Pearl

by AriannJS



Category: Naruto, Sasusaku - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:08:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28426008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AriannJS/pseuds/AriannJS
Summary: The Lord Sixth had tasked Captain Uchiha with finding the mystical Rosegold Pearl and surrendering it to Konoha. It was a risky request, Lord Sixth knew, because he was entrusting a hundred decades' worth of fortune to a notorious pirate group. However, it was the only chance he could give to his former protegé so that he could redeem himself to Konoha’s elders.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Kudos: 36





	Rosegold Pearl

**Author's Note:**

  * For [queenjaymhir](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=queenjaymhir).



> Here's 1/5 of my Fic Commission for a Cause dedicated to the typhoon victims in the Philippines. This one is a commissioned piece for @QueenJayMhir. :) It's also my first time writing a pirate x mermaid AU! I enjoyed working on this one! 
> 
> beta-read by the amazing: @LaineO_art

It was a compromise.

The Lord Sixth had tasked Captain Uchiha with finding the mystical Rosegold Pearl and surrendering it to Konoha. It was a risky request, Lord Sixth knew, because he was entrusting a hundred decades' worth of fortune to a notorious pirate group. However, it was the only chance he could give to his former protegé so that he could redeem himself to Konoha’s elders.

Sasuke gripped the ship's steering wheel, his jaw tense. His three confederates noticed his edginess ever since they had departed, but didn't say anything, not wishing to provoke the captain.

Sasuke couldn’t deny that he was hesitant. Just because he had finally finished his self-proclaimed mission and found the island where his mercenary brother had died, didn’t mean he was willing to return to his city of birth and be subjected to their leaders once again. Whether he finds the Rosegold Pearl or not, a part of him wanted to be free and continue the life he had been accustomed to for a year now.

* * *

Nonetheless, he was still torn. If his brother was still here, he would’ve found it worth staying in one place with him. But that’s something that could never happen anymore.

“Suigetsu, take over,” Sasuke finally said after an hour of silence.

“S-sure, Sasuke!”

He then left the bridge, removing his tattered hat and cloak without knowing that his only female confederate was following him. He came to a halt when the redhead took his arm.

“Karin.”

“Sasuke, what’s the matter?”

“Let go.”

“You’re thinking too much.”

Sasuke glared at Karin before he swatted her hand away. “It’s none of your business.”

“Yeah, but where we are going is a part of our business right? Why don’t we just escape this stupid mission and continue our journey? You told me yourself you didn't want to go back to Konoha anyways.”

Someone cleared his throat behind them. “Yeah, that, or we can still find that pearl before we head off elsewhere. Forget about Konoha.”

“Juugo has a point,” Karin smirked.

Sasuke turned to face them with his forehead creased. After a few moments, he shut his eyes and shook his head, saying, “We’ll find the Rosegold Pearl and return it to Konoha. Juugo, take turns with Suigetsu in steering the ship. Make sure that we reach Iwa Island first thing in the morning.”

Then he retreated to his quarters, leaving them astounded by his unexpected decision.

Sasuke opted to sleep early so he wouldn’t have to rethink his resolve. As he slept, he was once again visited by a vision filled with colors and conversations that tread the thin line between his dreams and memories from childhood.

* * *

“I’ve heard about this Rosegold Pearl from my father a long time ago. Not that I have a clue where it is, but for all I know, there’s hearsay that someone otherworldly is taking care of it,” Suigetsu cringed a little as he steered the ship.

“Maybe that’s just a myth, Sui.”

“I hope so, Juugo. But what if that pearl is cursed? Or, you know, tended by a bunch of water-born aliens.”

“Water-born aliens? Can you hear yourself?!”

“Yes, I’m not deaf, Karin!”

“Then you probably know that there’s no such thing!”

“That’s why I said ‘what if’!”

“Stop it, you two. You might wake Sasuke.”

Karin scoffed and Suigetsu rolled his eyes, the previous discussion forgotten.

“If Sasuke gets mad at me, you’re going to pay,” Karin huffed.

Suigetsu grinned slyly. “He has always been mad at you, Karin.”

“You–!”

“Didn’t I say that we should already be at Iwa Island first thing in the morning?”

Dumbfounded, the three pirates whipped their heads towards Sasuke’s voice and found him leaning on the doorframe like he had been there the whole time. They all swallowed hard as Sasuke approached them and took over steering the ship.

“Tch. I don’t believe in otherworldly creatures,” he said, subtly disregarding the dream he had the night before.

* * *

It has been a month of traveling the raging seas and they still haven’t found the Rosegold Pearl.

Sasuke contemplated the situation, wondering if cutting their ties from Konoha would be the best decision after all. He watched as Juugo steered the ship with shoulders slumped, Karin scanned the map with a scowl on her face, and Suigetsu downed the last bottle of wine from their reserves. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose. 

His comrades were as frustrated as he was. They were trying hard to be heroes, but in reality, they were villains in an atrocious journey with no specific destination. Yet, a part of him still wanted to honor Konoha's request, as his late brother had desired to keep their hometown safe.

He walked towards the steering wheel and Juugo stepped aside. “You may all go back to your quarters. I’ll take over tonight.”

Then he was left alone on the bridge.

Thankfully, there was no storm that night so he was able to navigate clearly. However, it was still dark. He continued steering the ship until past midnight. 

A little while later, something caught his attention somewhere northeast. There was light coming from a distance. It wasn’t a lighthouse but a lit up small part of what Sasuke realized was an island.

Immediately, he maneuvered the ship towards the island and sounded the emergency alarm to wake his teammates.

“What’s wrong, Sasuke?!” Juugo responded with the other two behind him.

“Karin, there’s a light over there. Can you check the map about its exact location?”

“Sure. Wait, let me s—but, Sasuke, there’s no island in that area on the map.”

They looked at each other warily before darting their eyes towards the lit-up island again. After a few moments, they glanced at Sasuke expectantly.

"We'll still proceed." 

* * *

They navigated towards the island with ease due to the ray of light which showed a tinge of pink upon closer look. Leaving Juugo to look after the ship, Karin, Suigetsu, and Sasuke took a rowboat to the shore. From the beach, they saw about a hundred meters away, a tiny beam of light streaming through the dense foliage of the island.

“This way,” Sasuke directed.

The three made their way through the dark and wet vegetation, with only the ray of light guiding the way. After what seemed about an hour of trudging through the island's rain forest, the trees suddenly opened and they were standing in front of a cave, with the bright light they had been following, shining from its opening.

“We need to be careful, Sasuke,” Karin reminded him.

“I know.”

“It could be people in need of saving though, that's the best we could expect.”

“Or it could be what we are looking for,” Suigetsu intervened.

“I think so too. Let's go.” Sasuke led them towards the cave while shielding his eyes with a hand.

The moment they stepped into the cave, however, the light slowly dimmed as if luring them towards its source. There was a lake inside the cave and they tiptoed over the slippery rocks towards the light.

Cautious, Sasuke gripped the hilt of his sword with Suigetsu following him.

As they continued inside, Sasuke finally saw where the light was coming from. Sure enough, it was coming from what they had been looking for – the Rosegold Pearl.

Karin gasped at the sight of the beautiful treasure – huge, pinkish, brilliant, and expensive, no doubt. Suigetsu, on the other hand, remained vigilant for any supernatural creatures. 

The pearl was sitting on top of an enormous rock that reached Sasuke’s chin. Smirking, he stepped closer and slowly picked it up with his hands. It was heavier than he expected, with it being just a tad larger than his head. Its gleam disappeared in an instant, and he stepped back a bit in surprise. He turned to his teammates and showed them the treasure with a subtle smile, before putting it inside a sack. 

With a single nod from him, they made their way out of the cave.

They were nearing the mouth of the cave when Sasuke had to stop. "Wait. Karin, hold this for a second," Sasuke groaned loudly.

“Sasuke?” Karin questioned. “Sasuke!”

Sasuke suddenly fell to his knees and lost consciousness.

Suigetsu and Karin ran to his side.

“What happened, Karin?”

“I-I don’t know! We saw the same thing, idiot!” With a shaking hand, Karin touched Sasuke’s forehead and gasped. “He’s...he’s burning!”

“What? He doesn’t ever get sick!” Suigetsu retorted.

“Don’t you think I don’t know that?! What should we do? Should we call Juugo?”

“Sasuke would be mad if we let him leave the ship!”

“Then what are we supposed to d–?!”

“Who’s there?” A melodic voice echoing from the direction of the cavern’s lake cut them off.

Slowly, Karin and Suigetsu turned their heads and saw a dark shadow approach from beneath the water’s surface. 

“What the…” Stunned, Suigetsu fainted, leaving Karin as the only conscious member of their team.

“S-sui!” Karin exclaimed as the shadow moved closer to them. She stepped backwards and looked at Sasuke and Suigetsu, then down at the Rosegold Pearl in the sack she was holding. She gripped the sack closer to her chest.

As the shadow drew closer, Karin started to see pink on the water’s surface. Then, a woman with long pink hair rose from the water and rested her porcelain arms on the ground. After a beat, the woman pushed the ground and lifted her entire body from the water. 

Karin’s eyes widened and a scream stuck in her throat. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing, the lower part of the woman’s body was a tail of a fish with gleams of pink, purple, and silver all over it. This was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen.

Karin was frozen in place as the woman – no, the mermaid – glanced at her. 

“Are they with you?”

She parted her lips, but no words came out, so she simply nodded.

The mermaid moved closer to Sasuke, and even though she wanted to protect her teammates, Karin couldn’t move from where she was.

“He’s ill,” the mermaid said. “Do you want me to help him?”

“W-what are you going to do?” Karin finally croaked out.

“Heal him.”

“How?”

The mermaid sighed and shut her eyes, her long lashes becoming visible to Karin. “I have a special ability, but I would need your help to get three different herbs from inside this cave. Can you do that for me?”

“Why the hell would I do that, huh?!”

“Because only I can heal this man, and if we don’t hurry, the poison in his body will kill him in three days.”

“P-poison? T-three days?”

Karin swallowed hard. “Tell me what I need to find!”

The mermaid described to Karin what she needed to search for and with one last glance at Sasuke and Suigetsu, she left as quickly as she could, leaving the Rosegold pearl on the ground.

* * *

Now that she was alone, Sakura – the pink-haired mermaid – sighed. It wasn’t the first time that someone came to this cave with negative intentions. It also wasn’t the first time that she felt terrible for the men who became sick from touching the Rosegold Pearl with bare hands. 

Sakura glanced at the ill man beside her. However, her heart skipped a beat upon seeing his face. She lifted a damp hand and caressed Sasuke’s cheek while observing his features – his pale skin, chiseled jaw, Grecian nose, and jet-black hair. Slowly retracting her hand, her eyes brimmed with tears as the realization hit her. 

_ It’s him! It’s him! _

After a few moments, Sasuke slowly woke up and found a woman beside him. The sight made him think that he was seeing the same vision he's been witnessing almost every night – of pink and green and childhood memories that he couldn't put a finger on. 

Until he realized he wasn't sleeping.

His eyes widened as he tried to sit up only to fall back down again. The throbbing pain in his head made him wince.

“Please don’t move, Sasuke. There’s poison in your body right now.”

“Sakura...”

The mermaid gasped. “You remember me?” She wanted to smile and cry and embrace him right then and there.

Sasuke simply nodded, wincing a bit as his fingers began to stiffen. “Why are you here?”

“This has been my home ever since…” Sakura’s eyes darted to her tail. “...ever since you stopped visiting the shores of Konoha.”

Sasuke couldn’t help but stare at her as he tried to remember the young mermaid he had always been seeing in his dreams. Seeing her again made all the memories return – ones that almost completely vanished – with the grief of his brother’s passing. 

He observed how Sakura’s slender fingers fiddled with the ends of her pink tresses. He noticed how her curves were in the right places. But what drew him in were her bright and vivacious green eyes. 

“Sakura.” Sasuke neglected the pain in his limbs.

“Yes, Sasuke?”

“You’re more beautiful now.”

Sakura's blush was noticeable even with the dampness of her cheeks. “T-thank you. I...I honestly didn’t think you would still remember me.”

Sasuke smiled. “I dream of you almost every night.”

“You do?”

“ _ Aa. _ ”

Sakura looked everywhere except at him. “Something...has always bothered me though. Why did you stop visiting me?”

Frowning, Sasuke shut his eyes. “A lot has happened, Sakura. My brother died. I left Konoha to go to the last place he visited and learn the truth of his death. I’m sorry.”

Sakura’s lips slightly parted. “No, I’m...sorry. I was only thinking about myself. I’m sorry, Sasuke.”

“It’s all over now,” he replied, his eyes meeting hers.

“I’m so happy to see you again, Sasuke, even though it’s not under the best circumstances.”

Sasuke struggled to chuckle. “I didn’t want you to see me this way.” He winced as he tried to move.

Sakura gasped. “Stop moving, Sasuke! You’ll only make your condition worse.”

Groaning, Sasuke stilled his movements, but still fell unconscious. 

* * *

For three days, Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu camped in Sakura’s cave while looking after Sasuke. He didn’t wake up, but Sakura used the herbs to heal him.

“Hey. W-what are you doing?” Suigetsu asked when he noticed the glow in Sakura’s hand as it hovered over Sasuke’s stomach. The mermaid’s existence still stunned him. “Why is your hand like that?”

Karin gasped. “You better not hurt him!”

“It’s my special ability.” Sakura’s eyes remained fixed on Sasuke. “I’m controlling the flow of the liquified herbs in his blood.”

“Y-you can do that?” Suigetsu asked, wide-eyed.

Sakura stopped her ministrations and glanced at the silver-haired man. “Yes. Thanks to the Rosegold Pearl.”

Suigetsu, Juugo and Karin stared at each other.

Sakura sighed. “You can’t just barge in anywhere and take something that’s not yours, you know?”

“And who are you to tell us what to do?” Karin retorted.

Sakura sighed once more. “The Rosegold Pearl was entrusted to me. It’s only I who can make use of its power. Anyone else who touches it with bare hands will end up like Sasuke, or worse.”

Juugo intervened, “Why did you heal him even though he stole your pearl?”

Sakura stiffened. She didn’t want to tell them about her past with Sasuke, so she merely answered, “I still believe the best in people.”

“Even though you aren’t one?” Suigetsu asked hesitantly.

Frowning, Sakura touched her tail and muttered, “I was one.”

She didn’t notice their astonished expressions because she heard a whimper from Sasuke. She gasped when he spoke.

“What...happened?”

“Sasuke!” Karin exclaimed.

The captain opened his eyes and immediately found Sakura’s. His lips curved upwards. “You’re real.”

“Yes, she is. Sasuke, we have to leave now before she does anything else to us! We don’t know if she has ulterior motives!” Karin interjected as she approached him, earning a glare from her captain.

Sasuke slowly sat up. “Leave, you three.”

“But—”

“I said leave me and Sakura alone, Karin.”

Karin’s eyes widened. “Y-you know her?”

“Karin, he told us to leave.” Juugo began pulling her by her arm. “Let’s go.”

Despite Karin’s protests, they finally left him with Sakura. His thoughts were still hazy as he realized that seeing her days ago wasn’t a dream after all.

“Are you feeling better?” Sakura asked softly.

“Yes. What happened anyway?”

Sakura sighed. "You touched and tried to steal something that's mine, that's why you became ill.”

“You mean, the Rosegold pearl?”

Sakura nodded.

“I was tasked to bring it to Konoha. But, I didn’t know it was yours,” Sasuke admitted, watching her as she averted her gaze. “Sakura, will you forgive me?”

“I would forgive you and completely heal you if you choose to leave my pearl and go back to where you came from.” Sakura’s gaze fell to her radiant tail. “Or…”

“Or what?”

“N-nothing.”

Sasuke slowly placed his hands on hers. “Tell me, Sakura,” he said softly.

Swallowing hard, Sakura met his gaze. “Leave...or take me with you.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened at the options she presented. “Like this?”

“You...you said you wanted me. Did that change?”

“Sakura, I was a kid. I—”

Pained, Sakura retracted her hand. “Ah. So it wasn't true? Then I waited for you in vain. Never mind what I said, Sasuke. I'm giving you until today to leave this place and—”

Warm lips crashed into hers, cutting her off.

When they pulled away, Sakura was still in a daze. “W-what was that for?”

Sasuke cupped her face with his hands. “It's true. I wanted you. But not anymore.” Sakura raised his hand as if to strike him, but he caught her hand. "I don't only want you anymore Sakura, I love you, that's a different thing."

Tears trickled down Sakura’s cheeks as Sasuke planted a kiss on her hand. “You do?”

“ _ Aa. _ More than the Rosegold Pearl or anything else.” Sasuke smiled.

To their surprise, Sakura’s tail and the Rosegold Pearl lit up so brightly that the entire cave was filled with white. Sasuke embraced Sakura protectively, not knowing what was happening.

Then, after a few moments, the light was gone and the Rosegold pearl was nowhere to be found. Two slender legs had replaced Sakura's tail, much to their surprise.

Sakura flung her arms around Sasuke’s neck while crying, unable to contain her happiness. Sasuke kissed the crown of her head and embraced her tightly in response.

From then on, Sakura traveled with Sasuke and his comrades. They never returned to Konoha.


End file.
